Cosmic Joke
by Lyllian C.K
Summary: College AU: Arya is a third year undergraduate student studying English and writing to be a journalist. Gendry, a past one-night hook up her freshman year, is now her creative writing TA. After years of obsessing over the events of a single night, will Arya finally get the closure she wanted all those years ago? Rated M for future chapters and potential mature content.
1. Chapter 1

Arya Stark was positive that the universe was out to destroy her. Or at the very least it was conspiring against her to make her the butt of some cosmic joke. She groaned to herself as she tried to slump out of sight, which was damn near impossible considering the fact that the cause of her internal turmoil was sitting at a desk in front of her, facing her, completely oblivious.

Just over six feet tall with broad shoulders and messy black hair and fierce steel-blue eyes, Gendry was a grad student just a few years older than her. Unbeknownst to him though, he knew Arya from a long time ago. They had met briefly at an open mic night at a local café and she had fallen in love with his poetry and he called her voice magnetic and one thing led to another which led to a tangle of arms and legs and discarded shirts in the back room. She had seen him around campus over the years, but not once had they actually met face to face. The lack of actual physical presence in her life did not leave him absent from her thoughts. In fact she had developed an almost obsessive thought strand developed entirely to him.

"What's wrong wolf girl?" The girl next to her whispered. Arya glanced over at Adelaide Prior, one of her best friends.

"Remember freshman year open mic? When I disappeared?" Arya whispered back.

"Yeah? You wouldn't say a word about it."

"_That's_ why I vanished," Arya hissed with a sharp nod of her head towards Gendry. Adelaide snuck a look over and gasped.

"_Arya_," the tone of the red-head's voice told Arya she was in serious trouble later. "Arya, he's gorgeous, what the actual flying frying pans!"

"Miss Stark, Miss Prior, perhaps you would like to share with the class what is so truly fascinating to the two of you," the professor said as he walked in. Arya's face lit up like Rudolph's nose at midnight as Gendry looked up from the stack of papers he was flipping through. They made eye contact and Arya wanted to shrivel up and die right then and there. From the rows between them, Arya couldn't be certain, but she thought she saw a glint of recognition in his eyes.

"No sir," Arya replied meekly. The professor nodded and launched into the lecture for the day. Arya looked down at her notebook and pretended to be taking notes, when in reality she was simply drawing one of what those who knew her called 'thought strands'. She drew bubble and then wrote her thoughts in them, drawing lines between the bubbles to other thoughts that were connected to them.

_Gendry_, she wrote in one bubble. _Universal joke_, in another. _What the actual hell_? Came the next one. She spent the rest of the class like this, looking up occasionally, nodding in response to whatever her professor said.

"Now, many of you have asked for extra credit," the professor sighed. "There is an open mic tonight at Wolf's Head Pub. Those of you who read there will get extra points, as many as my new TA, Gendry, sees fit. He will be there to listen and take notes for me. I have better things to do then listen to you lot read your mediocre poetry aloud." The professor, an older gentleman with a lilting accent, sighed and removed his spectacles to clean them off. "However, let it be known that I do not expect anything from any of you," he said with a sigh. "Now, Gendry will hand back your papers on your way out. I will see you all next class."

The room buzzed as students gathered their things and made their way to the door, stopping to receive their papers from Gendry's waiting hands.

"Arya, come on, we have to go get ready for the open mic," Adelaide pleaded. Arya shot her friend a look, dark brown eyes pleading for mercy.

"I can't look at him Addie, I can't even bare to walk up to him and take my stupid paper out of his hands!"  
"Arya, you idiot, what happened between the two of you was years ago! You were a freshman! You've grown up now, you probably look different, hell you probably even sound a little bit different. Now come on, lets go! Just take your stupid paper and leave," Adelaide said in a huff. Arya sighed and got to her feet, casting a weary glance at the waiting Gendry, still oblivious.

"That's the thing though Addie, he probably doesn't remember but I've spent years obsessing on and off over it like a complete idiot. It's completely embarrassing and I can't believe I've been acting like a little git this whole time."

"You've been reading Harry Potter again," Adelaide said accusingly. "You said git."  
"Loads of people say git!" Arya fired back indignitly.

"Yes, but most of those people live between the pages of a book and are usually made out of thin air and ink," a male voice chimed in. "Miss Prior, here's your paper."

Arya froze. She hadn't even realized that they had been moving and arguing at the same time.

"And Miss…Stark was it? Yes, here's your paper," Gendry said. Arya looked at him as he held out her paper for her to take.

"Thank you," she replied stiffly. Gendry's lips turned up at the corners and he nodded in response.

"Of course."

Arya grabbed a hold of Adelaide's hand and began to pull her friend away as casually as possible.

"Oh, and Arya?" Gendry called after the two girls. Arya stopped mid-step and slowly turned her head.

"I like the new hair cut," he said with a smile before he turned and walked back to where his bag was, all the papers having been passed out. Adelaide's jaw dropped and Arya could sense that she was about to say something horrendously embarrassing. Before the red-head had a chance to take another breath, Arya was down the hall and around the corner, power-walking like her life depended on it. All those years had gone by and she had cut her hair, changed her style, grown a little here and there and he _still_ recognized her. Arya shook her head as she burst out of the building and onto the campus's main quad, slowing down to a normal walking speed so as not to cause alarm to anyone passing by her.

"Why me?" She asked, looking up at the sky. And even though she was looking up, she didn't see the football until it landed right between her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

When Arya came to, she was lying on her back on the grass, nothing but blue sky above her. Well, blue sky and a group of handsome young men gathered in a circle around her, looking down.

"Sorry mini-wolf, we didn't mean to hit you," one of them said. Arya slowly turned her head to look at him better, taking in the dusty brown hair and scruffy facial hair.

"Theon," she murmured as she tried to sit up slowly.

"Woah there mini-wolf," Theon said with a smirk as two other guys reached down to steady Arya in her attempt to get vertical again.

"What happened?" Arya asked. Her sinuses were slowly beginning to pulse and shake in her head, a slow pounding slowly building momentum in her cranium.

"You just took a pigskin to the face. Pretty graceful fall though, your sister would be proud," Theon smirked. Arya groaned and covered her head in her hands, partly out of shame and partly in hopes of containing the throbbing head ache.

"You must have been pretty distracted not to hear us yelling at you though, mini-wolf," one of the other guys commented. Arya sighed behind her fingers, the smell of her own breath bouncing back and filling her nostrils. She resented the smell of it and wished for gum, water and an ibuprofen.

"What's going on over here?" A voice came from outside the circle of guys. They broke their line to reveal Arya's oldest brother, Robb Stark, standing just outside their rankings.

"Arya? Are you all right?" Robb asked, concern furrowing his handsome features.

"Yeah I'm fine I was"  
"Spacing out and didn't notice the football coming right at her," Theon interrupted. Robb and Theon had practically grown up together back home, with Theon right down the street from the Starks. They had been inseperable as kids, but then puberty struck and Robb grew more and more handsome and more and more popular as Theon grew good-looking, but average in comparison to Robb. Despite the fact that Robb had almost always outranked Theon in everything, school, jobs, looks, girls, Theon had always looked at Robb with a kind of awe-filled worship, eager to please his best friend, no matter the cost.

Arya glared at Theon for interrupting.

"Arya," Robb sighed and Arya could sense the lecture coming just on the way his voice changed. Robb's lectures were ones she was familiar with; the time she had fallen off her bike when she tried to jump it over the curb and fell (she had been nine and stupid at the time), the first time she got thoroughly trashed and Robb just happened to find her in the bathroom heaving the contents of her stomach into the toilet in front of her, when Arya posted pictures of her new Malamute puppy on Facebook and he showed up at her apartment with that ever familiar look of concern on his face.

"Save it Robb, I already know what you're going to say," Arya said from the grass.

"How could you possibly know?"

"Because your face says it all and I've seen that face since I learned how to talk," Arya replied. "Now which one of you is going to help me up and get my things for me?"

Robb offered his baby sister his hand and pulled her to her feet while another guy grabbed her laptop bag for her and passed it over.

"Besides, it wasn't even my fault really. How was I supposed to know your team decided to have an impromptu practice on the main quad?" Arya asked, gesturing to the suddenly sheepish football players. Robb was quarterback of the university's football team, a grad student with his eyes set on his doctorate after he got his masters, and aiming to go into politics when he graduated from the doctorate program. He was tall and handsome with wide-set shoulders and stormy grey eyes and a sharp jaw line. He was commanding and intelligent but fair and gentle with a rumbling laugh that consumed his entire body when he let it. Ever since he took over the football team in high school and moved on to be the most stereotypical popular kid ever (complete with prom king and student council president), people had called him the King Wolf. Arya, known for her fierce tongue and equally fierce loyalty, had found herself in the center of attention in a different circle of people. All of the Stark children did, with the exception of Bran and Rickon, who were still in high school and middle school respectively.

"You should have been watching where you were going," Robb reprimanded. Arya huffed and pushed up her glasses. "What had your mind so distracted that you couldn't even hear the team yelling at you?"

Arya opened her mouth to respond but then shut it like a fish. She didn't really feel like telling her big brother that a boy had distracted her.

"Never mind then. Look, are you headed back home?" Robb asked. Arya nodded.

"Well maybe you should get some coffee or something before you go. Water would be better. Wait to drive until you get a chance to rehydrate and your headache goes away. Do you want one of us to take you home?" Robb offered.

"Maybe your favorite brother can take you," a voice chimed in. Robb and Arya turned to face the speaker and a grin split Arya's face from ear to ear. Standing there in all his nomadic glory, was their half-brother, Jon Stark.

"Jon!" Arya cried and threw herself at the older man, who laughed heartily and threw his arms around the small young woman, squeezing her tight. Jon had finished his undergraduate degree in writing and then told his parents that he was going to travel the world for a while and not worry about school. Every now and again, when he could, he would come home for holidays. He wrote often, but most often was to Arya, who could very rarely write back depending on where he was in the world and how long he would be there. There was a whole wall in her apartment dedicated to the postcards and pictures that he sent her, the longer letters stored away in a special box on top of her closet where her Malamute, Nymeria, couldn't get to them.

"Hey there kiddo, how are you feeling?"  
"Better now that you're here," Arya said with a grin. When she had been a child Arya had sworn that she was in love with Jon, and it was easy to see why. He was handsome and kind, much more approachable than Robb was. He had thick curly black hair and dark brown eyes that twinkled when he truly smiled. When Arya had announced her bisexuality to her family, Jon had been the first one who had just shrugged and treated her as normal. When Arya said she wanted to get a tattoo, her father had agreed, her mother had rejected the idea but Jon had been the one who helped her research where the best place was to get it done. And the second one. And the third. He had gone with her to each one and held her hand.

"I'll drive her home. Still got that sidecar?" Jon asked Arya, looking down at her, still attached to him like a barnacle desperately attached to a rock.

"You know it. Nymeria has to sit in something."  
"Well now _you_ have to sit in something," Jon said with a chuckle and Arya let go of her half-brother long enough to give him the keys to her motorcycle to him.

"Thanks for taking care of her," Robb said. Jon gave the other man a smaller smile and a nod—things had always been a little bit strained at times between the two of them. They were the same age, but their father had chosen Robb's mom over Jon's in the end. When Jon's mother passed away when Jon was three, he had come to live with the Starks.

"Always will," Jon said and Robb nodded back. Jon looped his arm around Arya's trim waist and she leaned her head against him as they walked towards the parking lot. She was thrilled that her brother was here. She adored Jon, he was easily one of her closest friends.

"I should let my flatmates know that you're coming. Make sure they're wearing pants and all that," Arya said, going for her phone in her pocket.

"Who're you living with again? Still with Prior and the Targaryen girl yeah?" Jon asked. Arya nodded and grunted a response as she focused on what her thumbs were doing on the screen of her phone.

"I don't think either of them home, but Addie might have beat me there at this point," Arya admitted.

"Sounds like a plan. You'll have to give me directions," Jon said as they came up to Arya's bike. Arya rattled off directions to her flat and Jon nodded. Arya settled into the sidecar of the bike and pulled on the helmet Jon passed her. The siblings headed off onto the streets, Arya leaning her head back to attempt to look at the sky. The wind was too harsh though, the speed of travel too much for her eyes to handle without watering. When the bike came to a stop and rumbled into silence, Arya opened her eyes. Jon reached down and helped her out of the sidecar and she grinned at him. She couldn't stop grinning, really.

"Come on, we're just upstairs," Arya said, pulling Jon along behind her. Jon laughed and followed her into the apartment building. Arya took him to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.

"Top floor eh? Mom and Dad must be paying," Jon joked.

"Shut up, so what if they are? Besides, I wouldn't call it paying since dad already owns the whole building," Arya replied, sticking her tongue out at her beloved half-brother. Jon laughed and the siblings left the elevator as the doors slid open. Arya led her brother down the hall to where the door to her flat lay in wait.

"Welcome, brother mine. What's mine is yours," Arya unlocked the door and swung it open into the apartment, letting her brother in in front of her. Jon walked in and whistled in appreciation. Arya smiled; it was an amazing apartment for a trio of twenty-something girls. With its three bedrooms, kitchen, and nicely sized bathroom, the apartment was perfect. Skylights added a nice natural lighting to the place and the balcony looked out over the ocean in the near distance.

"Good thing Papa Stark is a real estate mogul or we would be screwed over and probably still stuck in the dorms," Arya commented.

"The couch pulls out into a bed if you want to stay here," Arya offered. Jon looked over at her, a small smile on his lips.

"What about your roommates?" He asked. Arya shook her head.

"They won't mind. Want to see your infamous wall?" Arya asked. Jon smiled and followed her into her room, a grey green the color of her eyes and there was his wall. Corkboards had been put up and postcards and pictures covered the multitude of boards. The postcards started all over America and slowly migrated through Europe into Asia. It seemed like the only continents Jon had yet to touch down in were Australia and Africa.

"Wow, you didn't lie about it. This is incredible," Jon commented.

"Looking at it makes me feel like I've seen the world too," Arya said softly. Jon looked at her and smiled.

"One day you will. Maybe you can join me when you graduate," he suggested quietly. Arya smiled at the idea. She desperately wanted out of the bonds that kept her in school-the society that expected her to get an education that would leave her bankrupt if her parents weren't filthy rich. A society that expected her to do what they wanted, without ever asking her what she wanted. Arya longed to escape, to travel, to run and fly, but she stayed where she was and didn't bring it up with parents because she wasn't sure that they would understand.

"Arya? Are you home?" Another girl's voice called from the main room.

"I'm in my room Dany!" Arya called back.

"When is your brother getting," the girl's voice replied and came to a stop as the owner appeared in the door of Arya's room. Daeneyrs Targaryen was slight and trim, fit and lean muscled with hair the color of freshly spun silver. Her eyes, an unnatural shade of periwinkle-blue that appeared almost purple in certain lights widened at the sight of Jon standing just behind Arya.

"Oh, hi there," Dany said, blushing slightly. Arya smiled at her friend and flatmate.

"Dany, this is my half-brother Jon, Jon this is my friend Dany," Arya introduced the pair.

"It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you and Arya's other friends," Jon commented, stepping forward to shake Dany's hand. Dany shook it, looking at Arya, urgency in her eyes. Arya just raised an eyebrow at her—Dany had never really shown an interest in guys, but she looked forward to Jon's letters almost as much as Arya did.

"All good things I hope," Dany commented.

"Well there was that one time freshman year," Jon trailed off, eyes twinkling down at the younger girl. Dany flushed and struggled to regain control of her facial features. Dany had prided herself on her ability to not be reduced to a silly puddle of girly fear.

"Well, yes, but that goat wasn't really our fault when you look at it," Dany replied. Jon laughed and gave her a winning smile.

"So did you get to ride in the side car to get over here?" Dany asked.

"No, she did. Genius here got hit in the face with a football so I drove her home and she rode in the sidecar," Jon chuckled. Dany smiled and rolled her eyes. Arya huffed as she played along in the teasing of her brother and her friend.

"How are you doing now?" Dany asked in concern.

"I'm fine, even the head ache is gone," Arya replied.

"Well that's good, since you've got the open mic tonight," Addie's voice came from the hallway. The redhead appeared in the doorway next to Dany.

"Don't remind me," Arya groaned and flopped down on the bed.

"Why don't you want to go? You're poetry is really good," Jon replied.

"It's not the poetry she's worried about," Addie insinuated.

"Then what is it?" Dany asked, confused.

"It's Gendry, our TA. He's going to be there," Arya replied from the bed, covering her face with one hand in shame.

"So?" Dany asked, searching for clarification.

"So remember the time she vanished during open mic freshman year?"  
"That was!?"

"Gendry."  
Arya groaned as Jon smiled at his half-sister, her friend's exchanging knowing glances in the doorway. She just wanted this night to be over and done with already. Little did she know what it would bring in it's wake…


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what's the big plan for the night?" Jon asked as he finished helping Arya make up the pullout couch in the living room.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Arya replied. Jon sighed and placed his hands on his hips.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about you ridiculous girl. You've got that open mic tonight don't you?" Jon asked. Arya looked at her half-brother and frowned.

"I don't think I'm going to do it," Arya replied, turning her green-grey eyes away from Jon's prying chocolate gaze.

"Arya, we're getting extra credit for that stupid thing! And while you may not need it, I certainly do. Just because Gendry will be there doesn't mean that anything is going to happen. You don't have to read but I do and I want you there, so that's final," Adelaide called defiantly from her room down the hall. Arya sighed and her shoulders drooped in resignation.

"Fine, I'll go. I'm not reading though," Arya replied loudly.

"That's fine, do as you will. But you're coming and you're not wearing that," Adelaide reprimanded, coming down the hall as she twisted her dark red hair into a French braid on the side of her head, curling it around and pinning it to her skull.

"What's wrong with this?" Arya asked, insulted. She liked her uniform of cargo pants that cinched just below her kneecaps, paired with a t-shirt that didn't exactly fit but didn't hide anything really either. It showed a sliver of her smooth stomach, her chopped dark brown hair brushing just below her jawline.

"Honey, come on, let me have a little bit of fun with you," Adelaide teased. She blinked her silvery-blue eyes at her best friend, Arya standing there, hips squared front, arms crossed, clearly not going to cave anytime soon. No words were spoken but minutes later Arya sighed, giving up. Adelaide grinned and grabbed the other girl's hand.

"Come on Arry," Adelaide grinned, tugging her along down the hallway. "I'm gonna get you dolled up, Dany can sit with your brother and then we'll go out and grab dinner before open mic at seven." Arya allowed herself to be dragged along, tomboy instincts telling her to hightail it in the other direction. But knowing that Addie would never push her boundaries, Arya resigned herself to her fate.

As Arya and Adelaide disappeared into Adelaide's room, Jon chuckled and sat down on his makeshift bed. The sound of clicking paws on the hardwood floors alerted him to the approach of Arya's malamute Nymeria. The beautiful dusty brown dog lifted its huge head and snuffled Jon's lap. Jon mussed her ears and patted the space next to him, inviting the dog to jump up and join him. Nymeria was quick to flop onto Jon's lap, nuzzling him affectionately as Jon ran his fingers through her fluffy fur.

"She likes you," Dany said from behind him. Jon tilted his head back and smiled at the younger girl.

"We've met before, when she was a pup," Jon replied. Nymeria barked her agreement and finally stopped squirming on the couch, settling with her head on his lap, content with having her head scratched by the handsome young man.

"Do you have any pets?" Dany asked as she came around the other side of the couch.

"My dog, Ghost. He's back at the family house though, couldn't really take him with me to Europe. But now I've got my eyes set on traveling the states, fully plan on taking him with me," Jon replied. Dany sat down on a chair next to the couch, watching Jon cautiously with her periwinkle eyes. He was more handsome than he was in Arya's pictures and looked just as well-traveled as his letters and postcards made him sound. He had strong forearms, his button down rolled up past his elbow, the hints of a tattoo peeking out on his right arm. He was scruffy, he hadn't shaved in a few days, maybe a week. His hair, thick black curls like storm clouds fell just past his ears. Dany couldn't help but stare at the handsome man before her, holding back the temptation to trace the scars on his face that stretched just below his eyes.

"What about you?" He asked, turning to look at Dany, bringing her out of her reverie.

"I have three lizards. They're in my room," Dany replied, keeping her tone and gaze steady. What was it about him that made her so nervous? She never got nervous around men—they held no particular interest to her. What made Jon Stark so different?

"Can I see them?" Jon asked. Dany blinked and nodded, rising to show him the way to her room. Three tanks had been set up across the room from her bed, each one lidded and lit up with strong heat lamps.

"This is Drogon," Dany said as she gestured to the lizard sunbathing on a rock.

"Is that a tegu?" Jon asked, awe barely hidden in his voice. Dany smiled proudly—the tegu was her prized pet, though she loved the other two creatures.

"Argentinian black and white tegu to be precise," she replied. Drogon was ten inches long with powerful muscles and a keen intelligence about him. The lizard looked up lazily from its spot on the sunning rock and studied Jon through the glass. After assessing that he wasn't a threat, the lizard closed it's eyes and resumed its rest.

"What about the other two?" Jon asked, glancing at the other cages.

"Also tegus, but slightly smaller," Dany replied. "Would you like to hold one?" She asked tentatively.

"Seriously? That would be amazing," Jon said with a grin. Dany smiled back and went to the tank with the smallest tegu, Rhaegal, and reached in to pick up the five inch long lizard. He happily climbed into her hand and she cooed at him as she gently transferred him to Jon's open palms. Jon slowly backed up and sat down on Dany's tidy bed and stared at the little lizard in his hands.

"He's growing slower than his brothers," Dany commented as she picked up Drogon from his sunbathing rock. He flicked his tongue at her in protest but quickly settled on her shoulder, mouthing one of her silvery-blonde braids as he did so.

"They're beautiful. How did you get a hold of them?" Jon asked, holding perfectly still as Rhaegal climbed up his arm and flicked his tongue over his jawline.

"They were a gift from my parents' friends. My license to own them is right there," Dany pointed at the framed piece of paper hanging above the tanks. Jon nodded and tried not to squirm as Rhaegal nuzzled his neck and curled up at the nape of it underneath his hair.

"He likes you," Dany commented. Jon looked at the girl and grinned.

"So did you ever travel with anyone or was it just you the whole time?" Dany asked.

"It varied. I spent a lot of time with a couple different groups of people though, but I made good friends along the way. I traveled with a group of other guys around Asia and in some parts of Europe," Jon gently reached into his pocket so as not to disturb the content lizard on his shoulder. He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to unfold a series of pictures he kept in little plastic squares.

"This here is Sam, and that's Pip with the guitar," Jon pointed to a group of guys, Jon in the middle of them. Sam was a big guy, round and cheery. Pip with slender with a ski-slope nose and dark eyes and a grin, guitar strapped to his back. "He had a wonderful voice," Jon commented. He pointed out and named the other guys in the picture, not that Dany really registered the words so much as the sound of his voice.

"And this is Ygriette. We met in France and traveled through the Czech Republic and Germany. We met back up in Italy when we split off in Denmark." Ygriette, Dany noticed with some lingering jealousy, was leggy and muscular in that stunning lean feminine way. She had red hair that hung in a braid just past her shoulders and old-fashioned colored sunglasses that reminded Dany of stereotypical hippies. But as she appeared in a couple different pictures, Dany grew considerably more jealous of this mystery girl. She half wanted to slap the feeling out of her system; she had no real reason to be jealous or feel anything towards this stranger.

"She's lovely," Dany commented evenly.

"Yeah, she is," Jon smiled at the pictures and Dany tried not to give away her inner turmoil. Before either of them could say anything else however, the two tegus decided simutaniously to awaken and crawl down from their perches and onto the bed, where they proceeded to flick tongues at each other before laying on top of one another.

"They're rather affectionate sometimes," Dany told Jon. "And on occasion they don't enjoy one another. Usually they just tolerate one another's existence. We should put them back now though, I'm sure the girls will be ready soon. Addie doesn't take too long when she has a vision and knows how to execute it."

She and Jon scooped up the reptiles and placed them back in their respective cages, leaving Dany's room.

"Addie, are you and Arya ready yet?" Dany called through Addie's closed door.

"Almost!" Addie called back.

"Help," came Arya's meek response. Dany laughed and rapped her knuckles on the door before walking away.

On the other side, Arya and Addie leaned against the wood door, mouths covered with their hands to muffle their giggles.

"She has such a lady boner for your half-brother," Addie whispered.

"As gross as that is, yeah I can tell. I mean, if we weren't related I probably would too," Arya confessed. Addie chuckled behind her hand and stepped back to inspect her work.

"What are you looking at?" Arya demanded, hands on her hips.

"I'm really proud of my work, that's all," Addie replied, grinning. Arya's normally messy short hair had been curled into soft waves that curled around her ears, and Addie had managed to get her in a dark teal dress and black thigh highs and brown boots that came up to the middle of her calves. A pale pink shimmering shadow had been applied to her upper eyelids, a gentle blush highlighted her cheekbones and her eyelashes had been coated in mascara. She looked natural and lovely, simple and clean, shimmering under the lights.

"You look good darling. Let's go eat," Addie instructed. Arya sighed and shrugged on the denim jacket that Addie held out towards her. The girls left Addie's room to find Jon and Dany sitting on the couch bed, chatting and smiling. Arya and Addie exchanged smirks and raised eyebrows-Dany was infamous for rejecting all suitors or even vague suggestions of romance. To find her sitting there, relaxed and smiling and almost laughing with a handsome man was unusual to say the least.

"You guys ready to go? We can take my car," Adelaide spoke up. Dany looked up, startled, her face flushing just the slightest bit. Jon smiled at his half-sister, taking in the transformation.

"Arya, you look good. For a Stark," he joked. Arya stuck her tongue out at him, blushing. She wasn't used to people looking at her. Her sister Sansa was the one who liked dresses and makeup. Sansa was the perfect embodiment of a stereotypical girly girl-president of her sorority, homecoming queen (once Robb graduated high school), perfect skin, flawless figure, popular, well-loved and more often than not, sporting something pink. She even had a tiny dog that she carried in her purse.

"You Starks are all blessed with perfect genes, and we all know it," Adelaide teased.

"Not that our favorite Stark uses them to her advantage," Dany added. Arya, now thoroughly embarrassed, turned on her heel and made for the door.

"Are we going to eat or not?" She called as she reached for the doorknob.

"Hold up mini-wolf," Jon teased. "We're coming."

"So is Sansa," a new voice chimed in as Arya opened the front door. Standing there, in all her perfect glory, was the elder Stark girl, toy poodle sticking it's head out of the bag that hung from her shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sansa!?" Arya cried, half-excited and half-dreading her sister's presence. Arya had always felt insecure and self-conscious around her perfect sister. It didn't mean that she didn't love her sister, it just meant that she wished she would tone down the whole Sansaness of her perfection.

"Hello to you too sis," Sansa replied with a kind smile, leaning down to hug her sister. Arya carefully moved her arm around her sister's occupied bag, careful not to bump the excited toy poodle that sniffed at Arya's jacket.

"What are you doing here?" Arya asked.

"I heard our half-brother was in town. Where are you hiding him?" Sansa asked, sliding past the still-stunned Arya into the apartment.

"Hey there sis," Jon greeted Sansa warmly. As the half-siblings embraced, Arya studied her sister, struggling to hide the jealousy in her eyes. Sansa had always had the ability to pull off anything flawlessly, a trait that only grew stronger when puberty struck the red-head. Her porcelain skin was smooth and appeared airbrushed, a gently smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose curled up her cheekbones around her eyes like an elegant mask of little fairy kisses. Her grey-blue eyes were symmetrically placed on either side of her nose, and her soft fiery-red hair framed her face effortlessly. Her long limbs never got tangled together, and years of ballet training and etiquette lessons from a prestigious all-girl's academy had left Sansa with the grace and elegance of an old-time debutante. Boys had always loved her, teachers fawned over her hidden smarts, and though girls had glared at her in the school hallways, Sansa had always handled her social standing with dignity and never mistreated a single soul.

"Who invited her?" Arya asked Addie quietly as her best friend slid up behind her. The pair watched Jon and Sansa get reacquainted, Sansa's little dog, Lady, straining to get to the new person.

"No one invited me. I wanted to see my brother, that's all," Sansa answered, turning to look at Arya over her shoulder. Arya blushed, feeling scolded for whispering behind her sister's back.

"Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I am starving. What do you all say to dinner at Dracarys?" Sansa suggested.

"You mean that pub and grill? Are you sure?" Dany asked, surveying Sansa with curiosity. Sansa very rarely graced the girls' apartment with her presence, and whenever they saw her outside on campus she was always surrounded by her sorority sisters or hanging on the arm of her latest man candy.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Sansa asked coolly.

"You just…I don't know, it doesn't seem like your scene," Dany replied, matching her tone, raising a single brow in defiance.

"Well you clearly don't know much about me then," Sansa replied with a toss of her hair.

"It's not like you give them much of a chance," Arya muttered. Sansa glanced at her sister, grey-blue eyes as sharp as her hearing.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean, little sis?"

"It means that you aren't around much for them to know anything about you, _big sis_," Arya shot back. "You don't really come around to see any of us. So don't use a tone with them when they have no experience with you to begin with."

Arya and Sansa stood staring one another down. Tension filled the room as it became clear that neither sister was going to back down anytime soon. Dany and Addie glanced at each other uneasily, both of them silently revisiting the stories of the Stark Sister Showdowns, rather infamous tales told over the years by their roommate. Jon coughed and with that the tension eased up.

"Well, this is lovely and all, but let's get going shall we?" Jon asked awkwardly. Jon knew full well just how long the two of them could be at this for. He had grown up with many a tantrum and verbal fight that had quickly turned physical when the girls were younger.

"Yes, lets," Sansa said coolly and brushed past Arya, eyes flat, glossed lips drawn tensely. Addie and Dany followed suit, reaching out to Arya to pull her along, but Jon held his youngest sister back.

"Arya, please, let's not make this into another night like Christmas, okay? Just…please, for me," Jon asked quietly. Arya looked at him, brows furrowed and yanked her arm out of his loose hold.

"Fine. That wasn't my fault either, you know. And I was telling the truth just like last time—it's not their fault that she isn't around, just like it wasn't mine. How was Dany supposed to know that Sansa actually does like pub food? How was I supposed to know that Joffrey…"  
"I know," Jon interjected, cutting her off. Neither of them wanted to talk about what had happened at Christmas. Jon left the apartment before Arya, as she bid goodbye to Nymeria and locked the door behind her. Sansa was waiting for them in her car, already started up. The VW bug had the Greek letters for her sorority stuck on the back window, and Dany and Addie were waiting by the car, neither of them really wanting to get into the vehicle with the stony Stark sister.

"How about we take my car," Addie suggested. "We can carpool. That way if Sansa has to leave the open mic, she can." Arya glanced in the car at her sister who refused to look at her, even though she could clearly hear them.

"I think that's a good idea," Arya confirmed. The three girls started across the street to where Addie was parked at the curb.

"Hey, I'll see you guys there," Jon called out. Dany turned to look at him. "I'm going to ride with Sansa, see if I can't calm her down," Jon explained in a quieter tone. Dany nodded in understanding and came closer to him.

"Tell her I'm sorry if I seemed like I was accusing her of something," she said quietly. Jon smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"Sansa can come off a little bit guarded. She's had a hard time this year," Jon said cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Dany asked.

"Arya didn't say anything after Christmas?" Jon was surprised—it had seemed to him like the three girls were close. He assumed that Arya told them everything. They had known about him after all. Dany shook her head and in the streetlight her eyes seemed to flash purple. Jon blinked and they were periwinkle-blue again, big and rimmed with brown kohl and thick lashes.

"DANY! LET'S GO!" Addie called from the other car.  
"Coming!" The tow-headed girl called back. "See you there Stark."

"Call me Jon, really," Jon replied with a slight smile. Dany smiled back and hurried over to the other car, climbing in the backseat. Jon slid into the passenger seat of Sansa's bug and shut the door. Sansa pulled away from the curb and turned around to drive behind Addie.

"I can't believe her," Arya fumed in the passenger seat, arms crossed over the seat belt. "What gives her the right to talk to you guys like that? It's not like you guys _know_ her! She doesn't give anyone a chance to know anything about her, she's so private and keeps everything about her to herself, not telling anyone anything ever…"

"Arya, what happened at Christmas?" Dany asked quietly, interrupting the brunette's rant. Arya fell silent and whipped around in her seat, looking at her friend suspiciously.

"What do you know about Christmas?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing. Jon mentioned that something had happened at Christmas. It didn't sound good, and it had something to do with your sister," Dany explained. Addie looked at them both as she came to stop at a red light, curiosity almost brimming over.

"Nothing happened at Christmas," Arya replied bluntly, turning back around, face blank and emotionless.

"But,"

"Nothing. Drop it Dany," Arya shot at the other girl. Dany looked at Addie in her reflection and Addie shrugged; she was just as in the dark about Christmas as Dany was. Which was unusual, Arya, Addie and Dany told each other everything.

"Forget I said anything," Dany murmured. The girls drove in silence, arriving at the pub and grill just minutes later.

"Do you guys want to eat upstairs or down here?" Jon asked the girls, who stood awkwardly in front of the main window. Men sitting at the booths by the window were clearly scanning them, leering at Sansa, who ignored them as though she were used to the scrutiny.

"Let's go to the bar side," Arya suggested. Jon grinned at her.

"I haven't had a drink with you in public yet, that's a great idea!"

"Oh yeah that's right. I honestly just want a beer," Arya shrugged. Jon grinned at his sister and held the door open for the girls. They made their way around the table and Arya nodded at the bartender as they crossed from the grill side that allowed minors and into the bar half of the restaurant, taking up the five empty barstools.

"What'll it be mini-wolf?" The bar tender asked, towel over his shoulder, leaning forward. He was handsome, with a five o'clock shadow covering his sharp jawline, short blond hair swept back.

"What do you have on tap tonight Jorah?" Arya asked.

"Nothing good. Can I fix you something instead?" Jorah asked.

"Surprise me," Arya replied with a coy smile. Jon watched the entire exchange like it was a tennis match, eyebrows raised at Arya's flirtatious expression.

"Aye aye little lady," Jorah replied. "And what about the rest of you lovely ladies?" Jorah asked.

"Fire and Blood for me Jorah," Dany spoke up first.

"Just a Roy Rogers for me, I'm driving tonight," Addie added.

"I'll take a White Walker," Sansa replied. Arya glanced at her sister, respect in her eyes. The White Walker was strong, with dry gin, Cointreau and Johnny Walker. Arya had chalked her sister up to a cosmo, which was what she had on Arya's twenty-first birthday. But that had been last October—maybe things had changed.

"And for the handsome young man?" Jorah turned his gaze to Jon.

"I'll try the Night's Watch," Jon answered. Jorah grinned at them and nodded as he set about getting their orders.

"Will you lot be dining tonight as well?" Jorah asked.

"Yes sir," Arya replied. Jorah waved over one of the waitresses.

"Alright, what'll it be folks?" The dark-haired waitress asked.

"Bacon cheeseburger for me," Arya asked.

"Blue-ribbon," Jon added.

"Clam chowder," Addie answered.

"How's the special?" Sansa asked.

"Dripping in special sauce and better than anything you've ever tasted," the waitress replied. She scanned Sansa, who looked at her coolly. "It'll put some meat on those bones too," she added dryly. Arya saw her sister tense up. When she was in high school she had ended up in the hospital, collapsed in the hallways and ushered there by the paramedics. It was then that her family found out that Sansa had been hiding a deadly secret—anorexia that had taken control of her life without anyone ever noticing. Arya guessed that even though that had been five years ago, Sansa was still sensitive about it.

"I'll take it, hold the lettuce," Sansa replied.

"And what about you little lady?" The waitress asked Dany.

"Cheeseburger with extra pickles and secret sauce on the side," the blonde replied.

"All right, I'll be back in a bit," the waitress said and sashayed away, tucking her pen into her wild dark brown hair.

"Sorry about Osha, she can be a little bit blunt," Jorah apologized as he passed out the drinks he had poured. Sansa took hers and sipped at it.

"It's all right," Sansa replied.

"So, Arya and gang, what brings you to our establishment this evening?" Jorah asked.

"Open mic night at Wolf's Head Cafe," Arya replied. Jorah smiled and nodded.

"You going to stun them with your word magic tonight?"

"Not tonight. It's Addie's time to shine," she joked. Addie shook her head and sipped at her cocktail.

"Shine my ass, we all know I'm only doing this for the extra credit," Addie muttered.

"Why aren't you reading tonight?" Jorah asked.

"One word," Addie said quickly.

"One name, really," Dany corrected.

"Gendry?" Jorah asked.

"Gendry," the two girls nodded in confirmation.

"Who's Gendry?" Sansa asked Arya, curiosity in her eyes.

"How does he know about Gendry?" Jon asked. Arya, thoroughly embarrassed, gulped at her drink, making a choice she knew she would regret later.

"Little lady here is a frequent consumer of my concoctions. My tester, really," Jorah chuckled.

"What am I drinking anyway?" Arya asked, praying for a subject change.

"The Lady Arya," Jorah said with a wink. Arya looked at him, eyes wide.

"Really? My own drink? Oh Jorah, that's so nice of you!" Arya exclaimed.

"How often are you here that you get your own drink?" Jon asked, incredulously.

"At least four nights a week," Jorah replied. Arya coughed and sipped at the cocktail slowly, savoring the taste of her drink.

"Do you have a problem we need to talk about?" Sansa asked.

"Easy up there big sis, her usual is a Shirley Temple and a side of bacon fries. She likes to write here," Jorah soothed the concern in Sansa's eyes with his words.

"So this is where you run off to," Dany chimed in.

"Thanks for giving it away Jorah," Arya reprimanded. The bartender chuckled and shrugged.

"And I will say again, who is Gendry?" Sansa repeated herself.

"Our dreamy writing TA," Addie answered for the embarrassed Arya, still silently praying that the subject would go away.

"Oh?" Arya could feel Sansa's gaze on her and her sips turned into determined swallows.

"This is delicious Jorah, what's in it?"

"Ah ah, don't use me to avoid a subject you don't want to talk about," Jorah replied before crossing to the other side of the bar to catch up with another customer.

"So what's Gendry to you?" Sansa asked. "And _you_ have to answer me Arya," she added before Addie or Dany could say anything. Arya sighed and rested her glass on the bar counter, looking at her sister.

"He's…a mistake I made two years ago. Nothing happened between us but we hooked up at an open mic night and then never spoke," Arya explained. Sansa listened intently.

"Was he good to you?" Jon asked from the other side of Sansa.

Arya nodded. "He was a complete gentleman, and we were both a little tipsy and then just, nothing," Arya shrugged. "I thought he just forgot who I was until he called me Arya in class and said he liked my haircut," Arya sighed. Sansa nodded in understanding.

"Well that makes sense," Sansa replied. Jon nodded. Osha came back, arms filled with their orders and the party of five dug into their food with vigor, making small talk. Sansa and Arya relaxed after Arya talked about Gendry for a bit, the familiar and easy topic of boys calming the red head. Jon smiled at his sisters and studied Daenerys, who sat on the other side of Arya. She was pretty in an almost exotic way, with her pale hair and striking eyes. She had a wide smile and white teeth, one of them was slightly chipped Jon noticed. Yes, he had been with Ygritte for a long time when they had been traveling together, but the fierce red-haired girl had parted with him on the best of terms, with no need for attachment and overseas promises of future romantic endeavors.

Half an hour later the group had finished their meals and Arya had had a second one of her name drink, relishing in the perfect balance of burning bite and fruity sweetness of the drink, sucking on the lemon slice Jorah added for garnish.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Jon asked. The girls nodded and they split the bill, Jorah insisting that the drinks were on the house.

"Just this once," he said with a wink at Arya, who smiled in return, her body buzzing with the mixed rush of alcohol and nerves.

"Let's get going then," Addie said, clearly dreading reading her writing in front of strangers. The group headed out and Addie ushered the two girls into her car, Jon and Sansa climbing into the bug.

"Whoever gets there first grab a table," Arya called out the window to her siblings. Jon waved in response and they took off.

"What are you going to do if you see Gendry?" Dany asked Arya from the backseat, leaning forward to talk to her. Arya shrugged, cheeks burning as she thought about the last time she and Gendry had been at Wolf's Head Cafe together. A knot formed behind her belly button and her whole body shivered in anticipation. She would never admit to even her two best friends that she wanted a repeat of that night, especially now that she knew what she was doing, as opposed to when she was a freshman.

"Nothing I suppose," Arya murmured in response.

"Mhm," Addie hummed knowingly. Arya tried to hide her true thoughts to the best of her ability, but Adelaide had a good read on the brunette. Soon enough they were at the nearly-hidden café and by the time they walked in, open mic night was in full swing. The place was crowded, and there were no tables left, even the standing tables were full. College kids had apparently figured out that extra credit was a very limited opportunity and they should seize it when they could. Or maybe they were all just doing poorly in the class, Arya mused as she scanned the room for a place to sit.

"I see a table," she said, pointing to an almost-empty table save one person.

"Um, Arry," Dany started. Before her friend even finished, Arya realized exactly why the table was almost empty. Gendry sat there, nursing a steaming mug and wearing an incredibly bored expression as he watched the act on stage.

"We should go say hi at least," Arya said. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the two years of silence, maybe it was both, but something gave Arya the fuel to fight through the crowd over to Gendry's table. When she stopped in front of him, Gendry glanced at her and then back at the stage before looking back at her a second time, blinking rapidly as he took her in.

"Arya? What are you doing here?" Gendry asked, scanning her whole body from head to toe. Arya, who normally would have been flustered with anyone scanning her body, slowly unbuttoned her denim jacket, dragging his eyes back to her chest as she did so.

"Can my friends and I join you?" She asked boldly. Gendry fought back a smirk and nodded. Arya waved over Addie and Dany just as Sansa and Jon appeared.

"Great, thanks," she said as she slid into the round booth. When the others slid in she ended up between Gendry and Addie, Dany on Addie's other side next to Jon and Sansa on the other end of the semi-circle. Lady stuck her head out of Sansa's bag and barked.

"Sansa, shouldn't you leave Lady in the car?" Jon asked.

"She'll get cold," Sansa replied, eyeing Gendry.

"Gendry, this is my sister Sansa, my half-brother Jon, and my friends Dany and Adelaide," Arya introduced her party to Gendry. His storm-cloud eyes took them all in as he nodded his greeting and looked back at Arya.

"Are you reading tonight?" Gendry asked.

"Not tonight, I'm only here for moral support," Arya replied. "Addie's reading tonight," she finished explaining with a nod to Adelaide.

"Speaking of which, I should go write my name down on the list," Addie said. "If you all will excuse me," Addie continued, gesturing for Gendry and Arya to move so she could exit the booth.

"So what do they have to do to earn extra credit?" Sansa asked.

"They just have to read something," Gendry replied. "Doesn't matter how long it is or the content matter. Professor is ready to give credit to anyone with the cajones to get up there in the first place. Especially this lot. The writing is _not_ the greatest in the world," Gendry explained. Sansa nodded and watched the way that he looked down at her younger sister.

"Are you sure you don't want to read tonight and show them how it's done?" Gendry asked again.

"Not a big fan of open mic nights," Arya replied.

"Why not?" Gendry pushed.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Arya asked him quietly, the two cocktails unleashing words she had long kept to herself, questions she swore she would never ask.

"Remember what?" Gendry was clearly very confused.

"Two years ago…never mind, forget it," Arya shook her head and looked away from the handsome young man.

"Arya," Gendry started, but was interrupted by Addie's sudden reappearance.  
"Don't bother getting up, I'm on after the next two people. Anyone want something while I'm up?" Addie asked.

"Hot chocolate," Sansa replied, eyes still on her sister.

"Get mine with marshmallows, will you?" Arya asked, looking up at her best friend. Addie nodded and looked at Jon and Dany.

"What about you two?" She asked. They both shook their heads in response.

"Mmk, be back in a pinch," and with that she was gone.

"So, Gendry, what do you study?" Sansa asked.

"I have my bachelor's in creative writing and I'm getting my master's in education right now," Gendry replied. Arya looked at him, surprised. She hadn't pegged him as a teacher.

"What age do you want to teach?" Jon asked.

"I want to teach teenagers overseas. I'd love to travel and teach English," Gendry replied. Jon nodded.

"Any idea where you want to go?" Jon asked.

"I'd like to go to Prague, honestly."

"Prague is beautiful in the summertime. Anytime really, but I especially liked it in the summer," Jon replied. The boys started talking about Prague and Jon's other travels over the years, and Dany scooted closer to Arya.

"Arya, are you okay?" Dany asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I figured he had forgotten, but I guess I kind of hoped…" Arya trailed off and Dany squeezed her hand in comfort.

"Okay, here are your hot chocolates ladies, marshmallows for Arya," Addie said with a wink at the other girl. Arya offered her a smile and took the mug of steaming deliciousness, the top completely covered in mini-marshmallows. She sipped at it, taking in the mouthful of marshmallows, chewing them into a sticky chocolatey mess.

"Adelaide Prior, you're up!" The MC announced from the stage. Addie sighed and fished a folded piece of paper from the hidden pocket of her skirt.

"Wish me luck."

"Bweak a weg," Arya said through her mouthful of marshmallows, earning smiles and a couple of chuckles from the table. Gendry's lips turned up at the corners and Arya tried to banish the unsolicited idea of sucking on his lower lip and wondering what his mouth tasted like.

"If there's anyone who wants to read tonight, we have empty slot after empty slot on this here piece of paper! In the meantime, Miss Adelaide!" The MC gave an overly excited cry as Addie took to the stage. The red-head walked up to the mic and unfolded the paper in her hands. Before she started she let out a deep breath into the mic.

"I'm walking with a ghost

that fills the negative space

that all the others have left behind.

Itquotes my favorite plays,

it knows my insides and outsides,

it listens and reflects,

and shares my memories with me.

I'm walking with a projected memory  
Of the best times swirled together  
This ghost  
Is made of music  
stolen kisses behind a curtain  
secrets whispered between embraces  
walking all the way home on a nice day piled on a couch for a show about ghost hunters  
Papers slipped into lockers between classes  
The best of times from the past  
So that I will not be sad  
And lose myself again  
Because this time there isn't someone to pick up the pieces.  
I'm walking with a ghost  
Who holds my hand  
Like they all once did."

When Adelaide finished, the café was silent. Gendry scribbled a note on the pad of paper in front of him as the café erupted in a chorus of snaps. Arya smiled at her friend on stage. She was better than she gave herself credit for, especially considering how nervous Addie had been about the whole ordeal.

"Is there anyone else who wants to read?" The MC called out as Addie left the stage.

"Arya the Mini-Wolf is here!" Gendry called out. Arya almost choked on the hot chocolate in her mouth, and Sansa and Jon looked at Gendry in shock.

"What's that? The mini-wolf is here? Maybe if we ask nicely she'll perform for us! Come on everyone!" The MC encouraged the crowd. Arya's writing was widely known around campus, as she read it at the campus open mic's where hardly anyone was there. But then the school lit mags and newspaper heard her read and insisted on publishing some of her pieces, making a name for herself on campus as a writer.

"Arya! Arya! Arya!" The MC chanted, the crowd getting into it. Arya glared at Gendry as he chanted along with the crowd.

"You might as well go up now Arya," Jon advised. Arya glared at him too before sipping again at her drink and sighing.

"I have nothing on me," she shot back.

"Do something from memory, I dare you," Gendry shot back.

"Fine."

Arya sighed again and shed her denim jacket, praying to the god of death to strike her dead now before she had to get on the stage. She didn't know what would come out of her mouth.

"Here she is folks! Back after a two-year disappearance, the mini-wolf herself, Arya Stark!" The MC cheered and the crowd snapped eagerly.

"One night was all I wanted and one night was all I got.

One look was all I wanted but I never got that,

no words, no nothing.

Hands moving fast but mouths move faster

Now you're under my skin and all in my head

But you don't say a word

Don't even look at me

One night

One look

One word

Maybe it was a dream

Maybe you forgot

Maybe you

I gave you the benefit of the doubt

And you gave me seven hundred and thirty days of silence

Get out from under me

Get out of my head

You are no longer welcome here."

Unlike Addie's performance, there was no silence between the last word and the snaps that turned into applause as Arya turned sharply and left the stage. She had held Gendry's gaze the entire time she had spoken, only looking away from him when she hurried off the stage and into the back hallway, breathing heavily. She could hear the MC out on stage, but couldn't make out the words over the pounding of her own pulse in her ears. She had never improvised a piece before, never just started talking without editing things first, without going over the words like they were gems she had to sort through.

"Arya?" a voice asked, interrupting her panicking reverie. She looked up to see Gendry standing there, looking at her, concern on his handsome features.

"Arya are you okay?" He asked, coming closer until he was standing in front of her, close enough for her to reach out and touch him. Her fingers grazed his button down shirt, fingertips dancing over where his collarbone was covered by the pale blue fabric. She inched closer to him, breathing in the wood smoke scent of him.

"Arya," he said quietly. She looked up at him, heart pounding against her ribcage, arms shaking. Without another word, he snaked one arm around her waist and cupped her face in the other hand, pulling her closer to him until they were pressed together and his lips covered hers gently but firmly. He tasted like bitter coffee and sweet peppermint and she fit perfectly against him as she wound her arms around his neck and pulled herself into him.

And then clarity smacked her and almost knocked the wind out of her. Arya pushed him away and stumbled backwards, shaking her head.

"No, not again. I'm not doing this again," she whispered to him, backing away on shaking legs before hurrying out of the door and back into the café, leaving a stunned and flushed Gendry behind.

"Hey, Margaery just texted me. She got us on the list at the door if we want to go out tonight. You in?" Addie looked up from her phone as Arya approached. Sansa was quietly flipping through a book she had pulled out of her bag while Dany and Jon were chatting away.

"Arya, what's wrong?" Addie asked, the concern in her voice pulling the other three's attention to the still shaky Arya.

"Nothing, I'm in. Let's go," Arya said, reaching for her jacket.

"Shouldn't we wait for"

"No," Arya said firmly. "Addie, please, let's just go now."

By the time Gendry reappeared, Sansa was the only one left, still reading and stroking the sleeping Lady in her bag. She looked up at him, and one look told her everything she needed to know. Something had happened between him and her sister.

"Where did they go?" Gendry asked, confused.

"Valar Morghulis," Sansa replied calmly, sipping on the chamomile tea she had purchased.

"The club?"

"Gendry, what are your intentions toward my sister?" Sansa asked abruptly.

"What? My intentions? I…I admire her, certainly. She's beautiful and intelligent and she keeps the world on their feet," Gendry replied. Sansa studied him.

"And you've noticed this when? As far as I know you haven't spoken to her in years," Sansa replied.

"Over the years. Just because I haven't spoken to her doesn't mean I haven't noticed her," Gendry said.

"Well, let me tell you that those two years have eaten away at her. And if you should hurt her ever again, you should know that I have a very good lawyer," Sansa threatened coolly.

"You're Joffrey's ex, aren't you." It wasn't a question. Sansa tensed, her knuckles turning white around the handle of the mug.

"Yes, I am."

"I'm sorry about what happened to you. That was horrible. I'm glad that the evidence was taken down."

"Yes well, than that should be an example of just how good my lawyer is. Now, go if you're going to before I change my mind and tell Arya you're coming."

"You mean…"  
"I mean we Starks don't let just anyone under our skin. You must be special. And you seem like you can handle my sister, which is not an easy feat. Now get," Sansa dismissed the older boy with a nod of her head and looked back down at her book as though she had never spoken.

Once Gendry had left, Sansa looked down at her sleeping poodle and smiled to herself. Her sister would thank her one day.

**A/N: I own nothing in this fic. Even the cocktails (most of them) are credited to someone else. You can find the recipes here ** 2013/04/04/cheers-to-that-game-of-thrones-is-back-pt-ii/. **I do however own the poems. Those are mine. Review and rate! Kisses! **


	5. Chapter 5

The bass at Valar Morghulis was pounding so hard the ground outside the building was shaking. People stood in a line that wrapped around the old abandoned airplane hangar with it's blacked out windows and threatening bouncers. Arya, still shaking from her hallway encounter with Gendry, stormed forward, past the girls in crop tops and fishnets who cried out in protest. Addie and Dany followed, Jon trailing behind them, cautiously approaching the building.

"Arya wait!" Dany called out. Arya, ignoring her friend's pleas to stop and wait for the safety that came with traveling in numbers, marched right up to one of the bouncers.

"Hey Greyworm," Arya greeted the man. He looked down at her, an eyebrow raised, scanning her.

"Arya, good to see you," the man replied.

"I'm on the list tonight. Margaery invited me, and them," Arya said with a gesture of her head to her friends as the other three caught up. Greyworm examined the four of them with a cool eye.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Greyworm asked. Addie stepped forward and offered him her phone, the texts from Margaery open for him to read. The bouncer nodded and waved the four of them forward into the club. Jon hurried after them and found himself somewhere else entirely. While it looked like just another abandoned brick building from the outside and he had only seen darkness on his way in, he could see now that the darkness was alive. It pulsed with strobe lights and lasers, people jumping and swaying and moving to the steady heavy bass that shook the windows. Arya had come to a sudden halt at the edge of the crowd, ready to dive into the pool of strangers and lose herself among the shadows.

"Darling, there you are!" A lilting voice cried out over the pounding music. The group turned to see a young woman with flowing chestnut brown waves that framed her face in a chaotic and yet enticing cloud, shimmering blue eyes the color of a tropical sea and plenty of bare skin headed straight towards them. She wore dark blue shorts that barely covered more than a pair of underwear would and a cropped tank top that hugged her chest like a second skin, the shredded hem flying around her ribcage and stomach, revealing a series of tattoos that turned the young woman's torso into a canvas. The beautiful girl launched herself into Addie's open arms and buried her face in Adelaide's neck.

"Hello my love," Addie murmured into the girl's hair, just before the brunette pulled back and leaned in to kiss the red head. The two girls gripped each other tight and their kiss began to deepen before Dany coughed loudly, pulling the two of them back into the reality they shared with the rest of the world.

"Jon, this is my girlfriend Margaery. Marg, this is Arya's half-brother Jon," Addie introduced the girl. Margaery scanned Jon head to toe and back up before smiling at him.

"Hello there Jon, so good to meet you. Now come on darling, let's go dance," Margaery took Addie's hand and pulled the redhead down the stairs and into the crowd. Jon, Dany and Arya watched the girls vanish.

"I didn't realize that Addie was gay," Jon said, forced to speak loudly over the music.

"Yeah, she and Marg have been together for a few months now," Dany replied. They both glanced at the still silent Arya, who was staring at the crowd, as if waiting for permission to go misplace her identity among the strangers and become another of the hundreds of faces in the shadows.

"So what is this place?" Jon asked Dany.

"It's the local go-to place for music like this. A kind of place where you can be anyone you want. No one here is who they are on the other side of the front door," Dany explained. "You can lose yourself and then find a new you out on the floor."

' "Do you come here often?" Jon asked. Dany shook her head.

"I'm perfectly fine with myself. I know who I am and I don't need to lose that anytime soon," she answered.

"So what do you do here then?"

"I show myself off." Dany was surprised at the boldness in her own voice.

"Well then, maybe you can show me a thing or two. I haven't been to one of these since Amsterdam. I kind of swore off of them since then. I might be a little rusty," Jon chuckled. Dany smiled at him and offered him a slim hand and he took it. Hips swaying to the beat, she pulled him towards her as she backed into the crowd. They were swallowed by the strangers and forced close together, the two of them flushing just the slightest in the darkness. Dany shook herself and closed her eyes, letting herself get absorbed in the music, feeling the steady beat of the bass in her sternum, urging her on to move with the crowd and the music. Jon watched as the quiet girl starting spinning her hips in figure eights and her feet moved in time the beat.

Daenerys seemed to transform with the music—her silvery blond hair shifted colors with the flashing lights and the blacklights turned her eyes a vibrant purple. Jon, hypnotized and awe-struck, reached out and grabbed her hips, digging his fingertips into the exposed skin and pulled her close to him. Dany smiled at him coyly as he started to move with her, their bodies synchronizing with the music. The pair of them ignored the crowd, eyes only for each other and neither one of them fully prepared to break eye contact at any point in the near future.

Meanwhile Arya was still standing at the top of the stairs staring at the pulsing crowd, slightly confused and on the brink of tears for the second time that night. She didn't want to think about what had happened between her and Gendry but it was the only thing she seemed capable of thinking about. It made her want to bash her skull in or drown her thoughts in a stream of steady drinks, maybe even both. Rationally she knew that neither idea was a particularly good one, but that didn't necessarily make the thoughts go away. Instead she dove into the crowd and danced out her pent up feelings, letting her hips sway and body move, letting go for once. Her thoughts finally drowned out until the only thing Arya could think of was the music. She was only aware of someone's hands on her when they slid lower and lower to her thighs and then back up under her skirt.

Suddenly brought out of her trance, Arya spun around and automatically made to smack whoever it was across the face. Or at least she meant to, but the stranger in the dark grabbed her wrist before she could make contact. In the flashes of the strobe lights, Arya began to make out the facial features of her assailant. The too familiar sneer, golden hair slick with sweat and emerald green eyes foggy with whatever he was rolling on sent shivers down Arya's spine and not in a pleasant manner.

"What have we here?" Although the place was still all too loud to have a regular conversation, Arya could still hear every word that Joffrey spoke as though they were the only people in the world.

"A little wolf cub seems to have run away from the pack. Careful wolf-girl, lions are much more dangerous in the dark," Joffrey pulled Arya closer to him, his free hand going for hips, gripping at the skirt of her dress.

"Let me go Joffrey, or you'll regret it," Arya growled.

"This is my song though. And I want to dance. Now dance with me mini-wolf," Joffrey spun Arya around and kept one arm pinned between their bodies, making it difficult for Arya to move in any way besides what he wanted from her. She struggled as he pinned her other arm against her own thigh and pressed himself against her back, his breath hot on the back of her neck. Arya fought against his hands and arms, but he was too much for her, at least twice her size, probably more. He was strong and his grip on her was starting to cut off the circulation in her arms and hands.

"Joffrey let me go," Arya pleaded as she writhed in his grip. The older boy just chuckled as he slid his hand lower between her thighs and up her skirts to her unwilling body. She whimpered as he stroked her and tried to kick him like she had been taught to, tried to ram her head into his nose, anything. Instead he tightened his grip and adjusted his arms around her so she couldn't move her body at all as he leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"Your sister didn't fight me nearly as much," he murmured. Arya froze, any courage she had earlier that night completely gone.

"Of course, that didn't matter in the end," Joffrey added as he added pressure to his touches. Arya started to panic; her friends had vanished into the crowd, and no one was paying close enough attention to notice that this was completely unwanted.

"Your bitch sister got me expelled. You're going to serve as retribution of sorts, revenge I guess," Joffrey's voice became less of a purr and more of a vicious growl. "I'm going to hurt her where it counts."

It was when he started kissing and biting her neck that Arya realized there was no way to get out of this. She was unable to move, pinned by his arms and hands, frozen with fear and uncertainty. She closed her eyes and kept squirming, kept praying that maybe she could get away from him, that she could wiggle enough room to cause some kind of damage. His arms just tightened around her chest and it started to feel like her ribs were shrinking and her lungs growing against them, oozing between the bones.

_Please, if there's anybody out there, send someone to help me. Let someone see this, let someone come_, Arya silently prayed, turning her head to look at the dark ceiling. She closed her eyes, hating herself for being weak enough to give in, for not being strong enough to fight back. She hated that she was even here in the first place, in the arms of Joffrey Baratheon.

"ARYA!" Her eyes flew open in recognition of her name, and then suddenly she could breathe again. Joffrey's arms were no longer around her, no longer squeezing her close and tight. She stumbled forwards into yet another waiting open arm that caught her as she tripped over her own foot.

"Let me go!" Arya shouted at the new person clutching her, throwing her fists against his chest.

"Arya, it's okay," the voice murmured into her ear. She looked up, and took in the sight of a very worried Gendry Waters. "I've got you, you're safe," he added before looking back at Joffrey. Arya looked back with him to see Joffrey rubbing his face, holding his nose as he got his bearings.

"You little shit!" Joffrey shouted at Gendry.

"Come on Arya, let's get out of here," Gendry murmured and pulled Arya close to him, fingers wrapped around her waist respectively but at the same time very protective. She nodded and he turned with her to bring her back through the crowd and to the stairs. It wasn't until they reached the top of the small staircase that Joffrey caught up with them.

"Hey you little shit, come back here! I was dancing with her!" Joffrey commanded. Gendry stopped and turned to face the large blond boy.

"No you weren't, I saw what you were doing to her, what you were going to do to her. Haven't you given the Starks enough grief, Baratheon?" Gendry asked calmly.

"Not nearly as much as they deserve, Waters," Joffrey spat back, glaring at Arya. "Now give me the bitch back to me and you can leave unscathed.

"I really don't think that's something you want to do, Joffrey," Gendry said quietly as the other boy made his way up the stairs. The minute he reached the top and grabbed Gendry's shirt, Gendry had his fist flying and knocking Joffrey square in the jaw, socking him in the face with such carefully calculated aim that Arya realized he must have been thinking about it the whole time Joffrey was coming towards them. The force behind the punch caused Joffrey to fall backwards down the stairs, almost taking Gendry with him. Gendry was rooted to his spot though, and only part of his shirt fell away, the fabric ripping from where Joffrey had gripped it.

"Come on Arya, before he gets up. Do you have a car?" Arya shook her head in silent response, still trying to get her knees to stop shaking.

"That's fine, I've got mine. Want me to take you to the hospital?" Gendry asked as they made their way past strangers.

"No," Arya managed as they left the club.

"Where do you want to go?" Gendry asked, leading her to his car, arm still around her waist. They came to a stop and he looked down at her expectantly. Her grey eyes were large and startled behind her glasses, shivering in the night breeze. She looked up at him, fear and exhaustion all over her face.

"Take me home," she begged and he nodded, unlocking the car for her to climb in.


	6. Chapter 6

Arya unlocked the door to her apartment and looked up at Gendry, who had expressed nothing but concern for her the whole drive from Valar Morghulis to the building. He hadn't asked her any excessive questions, hadn't tried to contact her in any physical manner but always glanced at her every chance he could. She had texted the girls that she had left with a friend and was going back to the apartment, that something had happened but she was okay and not to worry, she would explain later. Addie had promptly replied that she and Margaery were coming back to the apartment as soon as Marg was off work, and Dany had yet to reply.

"Thank you for bringing me home," Arya said quietly.

"You're welcome. But I'm not leaving until someone else is here and can keep you company, or at least keep an eye on you. Don't worry, I'll keep my distance and be quiet, I just want to be here for you, okay?" Gendry asked. Arya said nothing, keeping her hand on the door handle. "If you really want me to go," he continued quietly, "I will leave without another word. I will not follow you unless you want me to, truly. I promise."

Arya studied him and finally caved in, opening the door and gesturing for him to follow her in.

"Go ahead and sit down. There's water in the fridge and the glasses are in that cupboard there. I'm going to go shower," Arya instructed quietly. Gendry nodded and watched her pad off to the bathroom, waiting for the door to shut behind her retreating back before he sat down in a chair. The couch had been pulled out and made into a bed, probably for Arya's half-brother, so he settled into a cushy arm chair and looked around the apartment. The tip-tap of claws on the hardwood floors alerted him to the approach of an animal. He looked over to his left to see Nymeria approaching him. She came up to him cautiously and sniffed at his extended hand for a moment before pressing her muzzle into it, whining for him to scratch her head. He obliged and the sandy colored malamute was immediately attached to him, resting her great head in his empty lap. Gendry smiled at the dog and looked back down the hall to where Arya had gone off to. The sound of running water echoed throughout the apartment and he sighed, his concern alerting the malamute in his lap.

"I just hope she's okay," he confided in the dog, who whined in response and pawed at his knee for more head scratches.

Arya Stark was shaking in the bathroom as she peeled off the dress loaned from Addie and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't _look_ any different really, except for the harsh looking bite mark on her neck. Her arms were bound to have welts on them for at least a day. Arya started the shower and finished shedding her clothes before stepping into the steam and scalding water. She let it pour down on her, wet hair plastering to her skull, water dropping into her eyes. Finally, there, in the privacy of the shower, she let herself begin to cry. Arya allowed the fear that she had felt to finally let itself free as she clutched at her body, desperately trying to scrub the smell of Joffrey Baratheon off of her. She winced when she scrubbed at her thighs, lightly putting pressure on them where they were sore. She didn't want to imagine what Sansa had gone through, what had been going through her mind when her sister was the one in the shower crying and scrubbing instead of Arya.

Satisfied that she was clean of Joffrey, Arya picked up the bottle of her favorite shower gel and poured a generous amount in her palm, slowly working it over her whole body. As she rubbed the scented lotion into her skin, she thought about the boy sitting in her living room. Gendry. Gendry, who for so many years had haunted her thoughts was now the person who saved her and brought her home in her time of need. And for that she was grateful.

But that didn't change anything, Arya decided as she rinsed off the leftover soap suds. It didn't change the fact that he hadn't been there for the past two years and that he hadn't even tried to reach her. Saving her from Joffrey was an act that deserved thanks and gratitude but nothing more. She was still angry with him. Having decided this and being completely clean, she left the shower, shutting down the water and fumbling around for her towel.

"Gendry!" She called down the hall, sticking her head out of the bathroom.

"Yeah?" Came the reply.

"Stay where you are and don't look, I don't have any clothes, just a towel," Arya replied, blushing as she said it. Gendry, who had taken up residence on the floor with Nymeria, flushed at the thought of Arya in nothing but a towel and nodded.

"Right, got it, I'll stay here," he replied.

"Where is here, where are you?" Arya asked as she moved quickly down the hallway.

"I'm on the floor with your dog," Gendry replied. Arya didn't respond, only shut the door to her bedroom and Gendry let out a sigh. Nymeria, curled up next to him with her head in his lap, looked up at him with her big eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, I can't help that I find her pretty," Gendry argued back at the silent animal. Nymeria huffed and laid back down, scooting closer to the boy. He sighed and closed his eyes, running his hands through the dog's thick fur, letting his mind wander.

"She likes you," Arya said. Gendry sat up rapidly, disrupting the resting Nymeria in his lap.

"Arya," he started. She stood there, hair still damp, wearing Baelish University sweatpants and an old band t-shirt so well worn there were only a few letters left clinging to the fabric. She slid down at sat down next to Nymeria, who whined a greeting before shifting her great body over to greet her mistress.

"She likes you," Arya repeated, not looking at Gendry. "I mean, she's normally very friendly, but it usually takes time for her to sleep this close to someone. She's not the most trusting of animals."  
"Like master like dog," Gendry mused. Arya looked up at him, too many emotions shifting through her eyes for him to decipher clearly.

"Anyway, thank you for saving me from Joffrey," Arya murmured. "I'm grateful, believe me, I am. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."  
"I'm sure that someone would have noticed…"

"I'm not finished," Arya shot at Gendry. He clamped his mouth shut.

"I don't know what would have happened. Actually, I do know what would have happened, but I really don't want to think about it, so thank you for being there," the brunette paused and took a deep breath. "But that doesn't mean that I take back what I said at the Wolf's Head. I'm not doing this again."

"What do you mean by that? Arya, I don't know what that means," Gendry's exasperation rang through his voice, echoes of hurt trailing behind it in the wake of his words.

"I mean what I said. I'm not doing this. I can't. I spent two years thinking about that one night and you didn't call me once, didn't seek me out, didn't even _try_ Gendry. I spent years thinking that I did something wrong, that I had screwed up enough to the point that you didn't want anything to do with me. I was a freshman and you were handsome and wonderful and we were both drunk and I thought that maybe that it was all wrong and I just…I can't keep obsessing over you, it's killing me," Arya tried to wipe away at the tears pooling in her eyes, tried to force them back to where they came from.

"Arya," Gendry sighed.

"Stop it. Just stop it, you're absolutely horrible."  
"Arya."  
"No! I said stop it!" Arya was covering her face with her hands now, the tears having won over. She didn't want him to see her cry over him.

"Stop what? Arya, please," Gendry began to plead.

"Stop that! Stop saying my name like it's some gift, stop saying it like it means something to you, like you have a right to say it at all. Because it's not, it doesn't and you most certainly have not earned the right to say my name like that," Arya looked at Gendry, and all of the anger and sadness that she had held back for years shown out of her eyes and trailed down her face, tears making rivers over the swooping topography of her face.

"I'm sorry," Gendry said quietly, looking down at his lap.

"Why," Arya asked.

"I'm sorry for not ever speaking to you, that was rude of me and it wasn't right. I wasn't right to you. I should have reached out to you afterwards. Believe me, I wanted to."

"So why didn't you?"

"I don't know," Gendry replied with some hesitation.

"I know why."

"Enlighten me then."

"Because you're a coward. You were afraid of something."

"Maybe I was. And who could blame me? You certainly can't blame me for being afraid of you Arya. Even as a freshman you were clearly someone to contend with. You were smart and lovely and your thirst to know the world was clear and your ambition and ferocity are all bundled together in this wonderful beautiful package. The fact that you were years younger than me didn't matter, I wanted you in my life, with me, the moment I saw you. I knew that you and I were supposed to be something more," Gendry paused and looked at Arya, who stared at him with wide disbelieving eyes. "Now, I could blame all of my decisions on the alcohol that night, or I could just let you think that I'm a complete and utter ass, which I am," he added as Arya opened her mouth to comment. "But you should know the truth. I am a coward, through and through. I was afraid that you would take one look at me and realize that you had made a mistake that night, and that you would chalk it all up to a bad decision you made while under the influence. So I decided that if I just didn't talk to you again I wouldn't have to face that embarrassment," Gendry let out a huge sigh, and Arya could see the weight of his words leave his shoulders.

"Well you were wrong," Arya said after a moment of silence. "I was desperate for you to reach out to me, to contact me, something, anything. Every time I saw you on campus for the rest of the year I told myself to go talk to you but you always seemed so…distant. After the year was over I resolved to talk to you second year but then you almost seemed to be making an effort to ignore me, so I gave up and tried to push you from my thoughts. But you were everywhere, and then you started coming up in my writing and now you're my TA and I just wanted to die when I saw you there this afternoon in class," Arya stopped when Gendry began to chuckle.

"Why are you laughing? You shouldn't laugh at this, this is serious!" Arya retorted.

"I'm laughing because we are a pair of right idiots without a single ounce of sense between the two of us," Gendry replied. "Arya, don't you see? We've been running in circles around each other, neither of us wanting to come forward first. We've been afraid of the same thing this whole time, but we're both too stupid and too proud to admit it. Come on Arya, I'll be the first one to say it."

Arya looked at him, waiting, suspicion mixed with the faintest hint of hope in her eyes.

"Arya Stark, I'm fucking crazy about you and I have been for two years since a drunken night in a back hallway. I can't get you out of my head and I think I'm going crazy. It's actually starting to scare me how much I think about you. I know tonight was scary and I know that I really shouldn't be asking you this right now, but if you would think about it that would be fine. Arya, will you go on a date with me sometime?" Gendry asked. Arya looked from the boy in front of her down to her dog in her lap, hands clutching at the thick familiar fur. She took a deep breath and let it out shakily.

"You're right. You shouldn't ask me that right now. If you were a gentleman you would wait at least two days after this incident to ask me. But I will consider your question Gendry. I'll think about it," Arya replied, looking back at the boy. He smiled softly at her and nodded.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Arya opened her mouth as though to say something else, but in that moment the door opened to Maergery and Addie tumbling in one after the other, all arms and legs.

"Arya, are you okay?" Addie asked, concern in her slightly-slurred voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Gendry took care of me," Arya replied, casting a small kind smile at Gendry.

"I'm sure he did," Maergery giggled with a wink at the pair sitting on the floor.

"I'm going to take that as my cue to go," Gendry said as he rose to his feet. Arya nodded and watched him scratch Nymeria one more time before making his way to the door.

"Goodnight ladies. Goodnight Arya, I'm sure we'll talk later. Take your time thinking about what we talked about. And let me know if you need anything else," Gendry said with a nod of his head and left the apartment. Maergery watched him go, Addie focusing in on Arya.

"What happened?" The red-head asked. Arya shook her head.

"We can talk about it in the morning when you're sober. I'm really tired. I promise you, we will talk tomorrow. I just want to go to bed now," Arya said. Addie frowned at her and stumbled a little bit over one foot but nodded as she shut the front door. Arya smiled gratefully and rose to her feet.

"Come on Nymeria, we're going to bed," she bid the malamute, who followed her to her room.

"So are we, come on love," Arya heard Maergery giggle and promptly shut the door to her room. She went to her bed and curled up underneath the covers, and for once she didn't mind that Gendry was the only thing on her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I do not own Game of Thrones or ASOIAF. All of these characters (with the exception of Addie who is an OC) belong to George R.R. Martin. Read and review please, I love hearing from you! Kisses, Lyllian.**

When Arya walked into her creative writing class next week, she cautiously glanced over to where Gendry sat at his desk behind the professor's. His head was down, reading over something on his laptop screen, urgently pounding away on the keyboard. Arya looked away when Addie reached for her hand. The morning after Valar Morghulis, Arya had gathered her friends together and told them what had happened with Joffrey, when Gendry brought her home, that she was okay and didn't want to talk about it anymore. She made a point of calling her sister and asking her to get coffee over the weekend so she could tell Sansa herself. Sansa, as was to be expected, was not pleased whatsoever with the unfolding of events, but seemed comforted when Arya told her about Gendry stepping in and taking over.

"I still don't know how he knew where we were," Arya had mused to her sister over coffee. Sansa had simply shrugged and hid her small knowing smile behind her coffee mug.

Arya followed Addie up to where they had sat last week and pulled out her laptop, opening it and pretending to do things that could be considered productive, but really just opening up her blog and an old story she had dug out of the archives to work on. She logged on to the school's website as well, opening her main page and staring at it as she waited with the rest of the class for the professor to show up.

"Arya," Addie hissed. Arya looked at her friend, who gestured with her head towards Gendry, who was staring at Arya intently. Arya waved at him with her fingers and smiled shyly and he smiled back at her. Gendry gestured to his computer as the professor walked in, imitating typing on the keyboard.

"All right students, as this is your first real class, you're going to really work today. Today is a free write and I want you to turn whatever it is you've written in to me via email by the end of the class. I don't care how long it is or what have you, just write me something. Your prompt is the word on the board," the professor announced as he walked in. The class watched as he went to the board and wrote in big chalk letters.

"Family," he announced, turning back to the class. "I want a free written piece about memory in my inbox at the end of the day. I'm going to walk out now. I don't care if you follow me or if you stay here. Do what you want, but do your work while you do it." And with that, he walked right back out the door. Arya sat there, slightly baffled that the professor would do this, but then a small ding from her computer pulled her attention away from the absent professor. There, on her school profile page, was an unread message from Gendry. She looked over her screen at him and he just smiled at her.

GENDRY: Want to go get coffee with me?

Arya looked at him and then looked at Addie, who immediately read over her shoulder.

"Do it," Addie whispered.

"Why?" Arya asked.

"Do you really need a reason why? He's gorgeous, he asked you and you've been obsessing over the guy for years. You already kissed him twice and he saved you from Joffrey. Just go get coffee with him. It won't kill you, that's for sure. Just don't forget to do your work," Addie sighed.

"Do you really think our TA is going to let me forget to do my work despite the fact that we're on a semi-date?" Arya asked.

"A semi-date? Why isn't it a real date?"  
"Cause if I call it a real date then I'm going to panic about it. So it's a semi-date. Besides, it's only coffee," Arya explained.

GENDRY: Want to go get coffee with me?  
GENDRY: Well?

GENDRY: When you're done conspiring against me, an answer would be lovely.

Arya tried not to show any signs of just how amused she was as she typed her response.

ARYA: I would very much like to get coffee with you.

GENDRY: Perfect, let's get on then.

"I'll catch you later Addie," Arya said. Addie smiled at the brown-haired girl as she shut down her computer and put it into her bag.

"Have fun you crazy kids," Addie replied with a wink. She looked down at Gendry as the handsome older boy packed his things up and waited for Arya to descend the steps.

"Have her home by ten now, you hear me boy?" She called half-jokingly. Gendry saluted and smiled in response and turned to leave with Arya, who stuck her tongue out at her best friend as the pair left the classroom trailing behind some other students.

"So coffee huh?" Arya asked as they left the room. Gendry looked down at her and smiled.

"Yeah, is that all right?" He asked. Arya nodded, suddenly self-conscious of the two small pigtails she had pulled her short hair into at the base of her skull. She noticed how scuffed up her boots were, wondered if her t-shirt was okay, if her pants fit right. She had never really paid a lot of attention to her image before—she had never particularly cared. But now she was incredibly aware of what she looked like.

"I think your pigtails are cute," Gendry piped up, as though he could read her mind. More like he could read her facial expressions, her thoughts were bound to be written there.

"Thanks," Arya managed.

"So stop pulling at them," Gendry added with a teasing smile as he opened the door to the little coffee shop on campus.

"I'll pull on them if I want to, thank you," Arya replied stubbornly. Gendry shook his head and pulled a chair out for her at a table in the corner. She set her stuff down and joined him in line.

"So what do you want?" He asked.

"Hot chocolate with marshmallows?" She asked timidly.

"Enough to cover the top?" He replied and she grinned at him.

"Of course."

When they reached the front of the line and placed their order, Gendry ordering a café au lait and her hot chocolate. Arya went to reach for her wallet in her pocket but Gendry stopped her.

"I got this," he said. "My treat."

"But," Arya objected.

"No fuss, no buts, no coconuts, missy. Our first date, I'm paying for it," he insisted and so Arya relented and let him pay for the drinks.

"So is this a date?" Arya asked. Gendry blushed and Arya saw him struggle not to appear too flustered.

"Is it okay to call it that? I'd like it to be a date. Just a coffee and hot chocolate date, that is. Nothing too special," he said as he ruffled his own hair. Arya watched his fingers comb through it and wondered what it would feel like to do that while being in control of her own inhibitions.

"You know, when you didn't say anything for the rest of the weekend I was worried you were just never going to speak to me again. Not that you wouldn't have cause to do so," Gendry continued to talk as they got their drinks and made their way back to the table. Arya sipped at her hot chocolate, welcoming the sweet burning of the drink on her throat so she didn't have to say anything. Suddenly her words weren't working anymore.

"I am really sorry about not talking to you. I should have done that. I should have done a lot. You were never far from my mind though. I kept an eye on you. Not that anyone couldn't keep their eye on you, the way you made a name for yourself on campus. You Starks certainly know how to do that, now don't you?" Gendry remarked.

"That entire sentence made no sense," Arya replied as she swallowed a clump of small marshmallows. "But yeah, I guess we did do a good job of making names huh," she thought about her siblings.

"Your brother Robb is a cool guy. I've had a couple classes with him. Smart, that one."

"Yeah."

"And what about Jon, where does he fit in?"

"He's my half-brother, on my dad's side of the family. He's been traveling."

"Do you have any other siblings?" Gendry asked. Arya nodded.

"Two other brothers. They're younger. There's Bran and Rickon," Arya pulled her phone out and showed him pictures from last Christmas, the one where Jon had finally been able to come home for a bit to celebrate with them.

"They're still in high school though. But Bran is a senior, so he'll be graduating this year," Arya explained. Gendry smiled at the family photo on the phone's screen. "What about you, do you have any siblings?"

"No, it's just me. But my extended family was around so much I might as well had had brothers. This is Lommy and that's Hot Pie. They're a year older than you or so, they're my cousin's kids, so I think that makes them my second-cousins," Gendry said, pointing out a fat kid and a twiggy little blonde boy standing next to Gendry in a picture in his wallet. Arya smiled at the picture.

"Your writing has gotten better since freshman year," Gendry commented.

"Thanks," Arya managed, trying to figure out what it was about the boy that rendered her brain completely and utterly useless. She was _not_ one of those girls who got all tight-lipped around boys. She was Arya Stark, not some senseless blubbering puddle. She sighed, dejected and out of words and sipped at her hot chocolate.

"What's going on in that head of yours? You're awfully quiet," Gendry remarked.

"I'm nervous," Arya confessed.

"Why are you nervous? It's just coffee. And hot chocolate," Gendry replied.

"I don't know," Arya sighed, all of her frustration coming out in a single huff. "Maybe it's because I'm still worried you're just going to vanish on me again," she muttered. Gendry set his mug down and reached across the table, taking Arya's hand in his own.

"Arya, I promise you that I won't be doing anything stupid like that again. I swear to you, on my honor, that I am going to properly court you this time," Gendry's blue eyes were solemn. Arya could stare into them for hours, she decided, wanting to dive into them and not surface until she knew everything about him that could ever matter.

"Okay," she said with a cautious smile, squeezing his hand.

"Now, what are you going to write your paper on?" Gendry asked. Sansa chewed on her lower lip and stared off at a corner of the café, trying to gather her thoughts into coherent sentences.

"I could write about my brother Jon's travels," she tossed the idea out.

"Make it more personal. He likes them real and true to you, not something that you read about and retold. What's something that _you_ can tell?" Gendry prompted.

"I could write about last Christmas," Arya mused. Gendry looked at her, curiosity written plainly on his face.

"What happened last Christmas?" Gendry asked. Arya smirked.

"I guess you'll have to read about it," Arya replied coyly, dodging the question. She sipped at the last of her hot chocolate and her thoughts wandered to her sister, wondering if Sansa would consent to Arya's paper idea. Her agreement was key for the paper. Not to mention her entire family would have her head if she wrote it without anyone agreeing to it.

The rest of the date went smoothly after that, Arya's nerves soothed by Gendry's words. She found it easier to relax and be herself, her words coming back to her all at once. She was in the middle of recounting the how-I-met-my-roommates story when her phone went off.

"Hold on, it's Addie," Arya said, picking up the interrupting device. "Hey girl what's going on?"

"Movie night. Now." Was the only response she got from the other end.

"Why now?"

"Because your brother, in all the goodness that he is, has not seen the Trifecta and must be educated and you have to be here for it," Addie informed her, notes of horror coming across the line. Arya's jaw dropped slightly and she collected herself as she glanced at Gendry, who was staring rather intently at her.

"That is vastly unfortunate and you are completely right, that does need to be remedied this instant," Arya paused, her thoughts catching up with her. "Does this have anything to do with Dany by any chance?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you could possibly be hinting at you sly wench," Addie commented, forced innocence filling her voice. Arya could practically picture the halo over her friend's head. She knew Addie's matchmaking schemes when she heard one.

"Well I'll be over as soon as I can. Mind if I bring a friend?" Arya glanced at Gendry, who was now rather confused as to the half of the conversation he was hearing.

"You mean Bull Boy? Bring him," Addie confirmed.

"Which Trifecta?" The girls had many 'Trifectas' as they referred to them. Years of living together had taught them that the best way to watch movies was in threes.

"Pink and old time teen romances," Addie said.

"Six of them? Now? Really?" Arya asked, incredulously.

"Yes ma'am. Tell your friend to stop by the store and pick up his favorite snacks, cause if he walks in the door he's not walking out of here until we are done."

"Sounds like a plan," Arya said.

"Great, see you crazy kids soon. Kisses!"  
"Kisses," Arya replied and with a click from the other line, Addie was gone.

"Movie marathon, my place. Six movies, no stopping. You walk in the door and Addie won't let you leave until we're done. Are you down?" Arya asked Gendry.

"I'm in," Gendry said without hestitation.

"Great. We have to stop at the store first and get snacks, is that good with you?"

"As long as I can make my special popcorn," the older boy replied with a smile.

"You're on," Arya grinned, and they were off.


	8. Message from the author

To my lovely readers,

I am terribly sorry that I haven't updated in a couple of weeks, things got hectic moving back and forth between two states. I'm looking for a beta for this story to help it move along before I continue it. I have the next chapter in the works, I had to map out some character lines first before I could even fathom taking it on. Sorry to get your hopes up at a new chapter and it's just a note from me. If anyone is interested in being my beta, I would love to hear from you! My PM box is open or leave me a note in the comments/reviews. I hope you all are doing well. Love to each and every one of you for sticking with me through this process.

XO,

Lyllian C.K.


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